Performance, talent, and who you are

It's Friday!Â Actually, this will be a working weekend for me - two areas.Â One, a database project I want to get moved forward and; two, recording several songs with a set of new condenser microphones I picked up.

This is a somewhat personal post - meaning it is more about music then about your career - or maybe not.... It does address playing (literally) to your strengths and being an expert.

South To Mexico - Mike Assad accompanied me - "noodling" (see below) as he calls it, a Spanish sounding guitar in the background.Â It was awesome!

The challenge with having Mike accompany me is that I got lost a few times.Â Instead of performing my song, I started listening to how pretty what he was doing sounded over it.Â I stayed with the tune well enough but I kept looking forward to the next mini-break, just to see what he was going to do - it was so much fun!!!

When I say amazing talent, there are some singers, guitar players, etc. who simply run circles around me.Â In fact, the set before me were 4 guys, Mike Assad, some harmonica guy, a percussionist, and another really intricate guitar player. They rocked the house!!!

I got up to play and said, "Well this sucks!!!Â I hate following people like that."

This got a few chuckles and some knowing nods by other players waiting to play.Â It did another thing - completely selfish and it was calculated on my part...

It removed the pressure of trying to play like them.

FYI: One piece of advice I give interviewees and people doing presentations when they tell me they get so nervous that they mess up.Â Let people know you are nervous - right off the bat.Â When you do that, people give you leeway - they coach you along - they want you to succeed.

I played my set - which went really well - and got a great response.Â Later, the owner of C4 and I spoke and the plan is to have my play in the wine-bar in July and later in "The Camp" - their outdoor stage.

Later I was speaking with Mike.Â We were talking about talent and finding your niche.Â Mike calls himself a noodler - he doesn't want to do the standard lead break, using all the standard rock and blues riffs.Â Instead, he finds places throughout the song to add to the sound.Â He said, the key for him is as much about knowing when not to play and to see where the song is going.Â He is often called to play with bands and on songs he's never played on before - so this interaction is critical.

I said, "I watch you guys and sometimes think, why I am there?Â There is all this talent -but then I play my songs and the reaction is incredible.Â I am comfortable that I write good songs.Â I'll let you noodle on those songs and eventually let others sing and play them entirely without me.Â That would be the best.Â I'll stick to my little venues for my performance outlet."

He agreed.Â He said, you are a songwriter and that is hard to come by.Â There are always "better" guitar players.

Part of knowing who you are and where you fit - is knowing you you are not and where you don't fit.Â I am confident that I could sit down and gain a lot more technical proficiency with my guitar work - and I do practice key techniques to improve - but I am very comfortable being a "good-enough to play a room" guitarist and a really good story-teller.

I learn a lot of technique watching these guys - and I steal....uh emulate some of those techniques - but I really feel no pressure in that area.Â It is an added bonus.

This relates, by the way, to being an expert.Â You do not need to be an expert at everything - you need to be an expert at something.

Pick up new skills - and you may even become an expert in those areas - but play to your strengths and you will be an expert naturally in those areas.

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4 Comments

Another thought provoking blog. Thanks Matthew. Well done for taking your music forward and out to people in this way. I love the term "noodler", not something I have come across before!Lovely lighting and composure to the blue jeans and brushed ash photo too. Something special about it.keep up the interesting posts!Carol

I wonder if it is worth elaborating a bit on what are the qualities of an expert - How well do you have to know something to be an expert?

At the same time, I think it worth noting that the something should be somewhat generic on one level as we are all experts of own lives but this isn't necessarily meaningful in itself. To put it another way, we are all experts at something - our own lives. However, I think the idea is that we all can become good enough at something to be an expert at it, which I get.

Carol - thanks - taking the music forward is a necessity at this point in life. Long time coming.

JB King,

There could be entire books written on how to determine if you are an expert - or what qualifies as an expert. I supposed, in the simplest of terms, an expert is subjective to the audience a little bit.

Meaning, if you know significantly more than your peer or business group, you are an expert to them. Of course, external recognition due to your contributions to your field - papers, presentations, or projects - are a good indicator as well.

Perhaps a future set of topics but I know if you search my archives I have a couple post on becoming an expert.

You are an expert when others call you an expert ... it is not something most people can work out from inside their own heads. You achieve genuine 'expert' status when peers in your area of expertise refer to you. This hierarchy of expertise means there is a place for most people to achieve their needed level of competence. I disagree that you 'must be an expert' at something. Generally having enough knowledge to do what needs doing effectively and efficiently is sufficient 'expertise' but not everyone who can drive a car, for example, is an expert. Expertise is marketable but be sure it is a well supported claim.

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I write about career development, business, technology, online presence, music, parenting, hiking, and sometimes... coffee. I am a ...
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I write about career development, business, technology, online presence, music, parenting, hiking, and sometimes... coffee. I am a consultant, executive coach, and author... oh yeah, I am also a father, dog owner, and songwriter/performer.
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